MY SISTER EILEEN is the title given to both the comedy and the musical remake. Next week we shall see two other films with different titles for each version, the comedy THE MATCH MAKER, and the musical remake HELLO! DOLLY.

The book MY SISTER EILEEN by Ruth McKenney is a quasi-autobiography. Ruth and Eileen McKenney were sisters from a small town in Ohio who came to New York City: Ruth intending to become an author, and Eileen hoping to be an actress. Although Ruth sold a few magazine pieces, her most successful work was her series of fictionalized articles about the misadventures of her younger sister Eileen. These stories provided the basis for a popular play, MY SISTER EILEEN which opened in 1940 and was a long-running Broadway comedy hit starring Shirley Booth.

The 1942 Columbia Pictures film, MY SISTER EILEEN is a faithful version of the Broadway hit, although it bears only a slight resemblance to the real-life exploits of the McKenney sisters. In the play and movie versions their last name is changed from McKenney to Sherwood. Rather unusually, this movie was shot during the play's Broadway run. Two of the movie performances here are given by actors repeating their stage roles: Gordon Jones as the football player, and Richard Quine as the young man who adorns Eileen. The film’s two female leads are played by Rosalind Russell as Ruth, and Janet Blair as Eileen. It’s a good thing you’re here viewing this comedy tonight since it is not available on DVD or video. Next Tuesday evening we shall be viewing the Columbia Pictures’ Cinemascope technicolor musical remake of this story, boasting of a score by Jule Styne, and choreography by Bob Fosse. FYI: In 1953, Rosalind Russell at the age of 41 made her Broadway debut in another musical remake of this story, playing again the older sister role; the Broadway musical is WONDERFUL TOWN, with the score written by Leonard Bernstein, with lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green. Even though it was broadcasted on television in 1958, I am sorry to say a film version has never been made of WONDERFUL TOWN.

Prior to MY SISTER EILEEN: I hope you’re not expecting to see the Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith’s version of MEN IN BLACK tonight. Of the 194 shorts and 5 feature-length films made at Columbia Pictures, MEN IN BLACK was the 3rd short made by Moe Howard, Moe’s little brother Curley Howard, and their associate Larry Fine, the Three Stooges. MEN IN BLACK was a take off on a feature film MEN IN WHITE, the film industry’s first big city hospital drama starring Clark Gable as a young doctor and Myrna Loy playing as his fiancé.

"For duty and humanity" is a phrase repeated many times throughout the Stooges short and is the central theme in the feature film. Tonight’s short was nominated for the 1934 Academy Award for best short - it lost to the RKO short LA CUCARACHA. FYI: An abbreviated version of this short was re-enactment in the ABC-TV bio-pic entitled THE THREE STOOGES. It was first broadcasted in 1999, and was produced by Mel Gibson, who is a well known 3 Stooges enthusiast.

Prior to MEN IN BLACK: We will be viewing the 1938 Looney Tunes cartoon entitled PORKY IN WACKYLAND. Porky Pig is in search for the last of the do-dos and during his explorations comes across some very strange and weird characters. See if you can recognize the three headed pawn brokers sign.

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